Hotwire

Many of you have referred to Priceline and Hotwire for lodging. I%26#39;ve never used these, so, I went out on Hotwire, to look around. I know this is going to be a stupid question, but, I don%26#39;t get it. I realize you can get deals here, but, what%26#39;s it all about? There really isn%26#39;t anything explaining what their services are. Also, why can%26#39;t you see what you%26#39;re purchasing before you actually purchase? Why would I want to reserve a hotel, for example, if I don%26#39;t even know what it is? Sorry for being behind the times..... :)

Hotwire

Your question is the point of Hotwire and Priceline. They are considered ';opaque'; booking engines as you know the services and quality level of the hotel and the approximate area but you don%26#39;t know the exact hotel. Instead of devaluing the product, hotels can turn to these opaque sites to burn last minute or unused inventory to the lowest bidder. The downside is you don%26#39;t know the exact hotel but if you are that price sensitive, does it matter? You can%26#39;t have your cake and eat it to, so if you are concerned about price and also want a nice hotel, then this could be for you. You may not be at the hotel you want, so if this is your concern then I suggest booking directly at the hotel of your choice.

The difference between Priceline and Hotwire is Priceline is an auction site and you name your own price and based on the rates the hotels have made available it will either be accepted or denied. With Hotwire, the hotels set the price and you can view the price. These prices are typically a good value so you can choose which Star level you would like and either accept or decline the hotels offer.

Does this help?

Hotwire

People who do not care about reserving a specific hotel and want the best deal they can get use Hotwire. Here is a web site that is like a ';cheat sheet'; for Hotwire. People have listed the hotels they got and their amenities so you can take an educated guess about which hotel you are booking.

www.betterbidding.com/index.php鈥?/a>

AS for www.priceline .com IF you have never used it before you must first read the instructions about bidding techniques found at www.biddingfortravel.com

I find priceline to be about 10-15%or more lower prices than Hotwire. I only use these sites when I can guarantee a hotel in the approximate area I want . I only use these sites for 4**** hotels as to me a chaep price is not really a bargain if the hotel was inexpensive in the first place.